dxallydx

OMG! So I just got my car like 2 days ago and there was like mad Water marks and I read the forums people say MAKE SURE u get a Microfiber Towel if u want to wipe the exterior of the car so I did....
and IT MADE SOME Nasty little scratches on my paint so I STOPPED! ARgh I got so ____ed =/

What am I doing wrong?

The_Instigator

you probably got some crappy microfiber. The stuff at auto parts stores is usually cheap garbage.

scoobyroo2002

Yeah for real, probably the cheap ones. I used to use a shammy....on my old car and i didnt like them...so i switched to microfiber...haven't noticed any wierd scratches yet. I also bough like the 20 pack from Costco..best ones yet! I love them!

Also how hard were you rubbing? What were you using to clean them off with meaning any type of special cleaner that could be abbrasive?

The_Instigator

This is what I use to dry my car with

http://www.properautocare.com/bigbludryint.html

and for any other wax removal, polish removal and spray detailing I use 100% cotton white cannon fieldcrest hand towels. They are not cheap, but they last for years and will never scratch the paint. They also can absorb more than microfiber. I usually wait until bed bath and beyond has a sale and pick them up for cheap.

Ive tried going all microfiber but havent ever been happy with the results.

FYI, this belongs in maintenence and car care

tCb00b

iTrader: (1)

was there dirt on the car?
EDIT: I ask this because dirt is what will scratch and a water mark is the result of mineral/dirt in the water that was on the car before it dried. So basically, you should have washed the car or used some type quick detailer/Speedshine product.

TCRS1_0

AGREES WITH SCOOBYROO , I think I paid like 15.99 for a 20 pack , best investment I have made with the detailing products . Mequeirs Tech Wax NXT a good second .

niksmr2

This might be a bit off-topic, but how do you clean your detailing towels between use? In hot water, with normal detergent? I know that you are not supposed to use fabric softener.

Oh, and beware the cheap "Absorber" like drying cloths, I accidentally scratched the s*** out of my mom's xb with one of those. I had never noticed this happening before with my normal wash and dry routine, but the only thing I could figure is that the "Absorber" was what did it. And just to clarify, it wasn't an actual "Absorber" brand towel, but a similar cloth made by Turtle Wax.

dxallydx

Ahhhh no nothing....is there a way to get rid of these minor scratches? Even though it's not really a big deal
But Im ____ed though

TCRS1_0

For detailing towels and so forth including microfiber towels . I usually use hot water and alittle dish washin detergent . But never use fabric softener , I guess the chemicals in the fabric softener does something to the fibers in the towels in which the only way of correcting the issue is boiling them in scalding hot water for 15 mins .

The_Instigator

I use regular liquid laundry detergent, with no bleach or fabric softener on hot with extra rinse. Wash them separately from anything else and dry them in the machine with no dryer sheets. I detail about 50 cars a year and only need to relplace them every 18 months or so, but I have about 15 of them.

gcxandy

you gotta go back to dealership to get some touchup paint. i have to do the same thing, when we had 8 days of rain , it got my car good. gave a wash yesterday and notice quite a few minor scratches

The_Instigator

I highly doubt a microfiber would make scratches that deep...unless it was full of rocks. 3M polish is a great product. If they arent bad, the Swirl Mark remover might get them, but if they are bad, you might need to get the stronger finesse-it II polish. These should be used with a buffer to get the best results. I have nothing but good things to say about the 3M stuff and I can get it at pep-boys. FYI their liquid wax is fantastic...easy to apply and remove and it lasts a long time. I would use that wax on my car if I wasnt using Zaino and I use it on all of my customer cars.

shinkuu

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...S&Store_Code=Z

The_Instigator

Sound familiar? LOL

FromThisSoil

Whoa.

Whoa.

Relax, guys.

A microfiber towel would not instill a scratch so deep it needed touch up paint. No effin' way. One of a few things happened:

1. The towel had grit in it that caused some minor scratches.
2. The car had grit on it that caused scratches.

It was one or the other. A clean MF and a clean car don't make scratches. By your post, it sounded like you were wiping down the dust off your car with the MF. MF towels are not God and only prevent tiny scratches and swirls in the paint in optimal conditions. If you want to wipe the dust off your car without washing it, I'd suggest either a Meguiar's Body Duster/California Car Duster or using a Quick Detailer spray like Meg's.

Chances are, all you need to do is use a Paint Cleaner which will remove the scratches by removing a microscopic layer of clear coat. Try Meguiar's ScratchX.

The_Instigator

Actually cheap microfiber can be abraisive enough to leave some marks behind. Ive learned to stay away from pep-boys/kragen varieties as I find they arent soft enough and can even end up leaving a kind of lint behind that can be seen when used on windows.

dxallydx

freaking sucks! so what do u guys suggest to get rid of these minor scratches? Are the paint gone permanetly? or I could use those "SCRATCH REMOVAL"?

FromThisSoil

Any scratch removal product is going to remove a certain amount of paint. That's how you remove a scratch. The scratch is removed when you level the clear coat to the same level of where the scratch was sitting.

Start off with something either non-abrasive or semi-abrasive like:

http://www.meguiars.com/?auto-paint-...-Paint-Cleaner
or
http://www.meguiars.com/?auto-paint-cleaners/ScratchX

You can apply those products by hand. If ScratchX doesn't remove a scratch, the only thing that's going to remove a clear coat scratch will be a more abrasive cleaner applied by a machine like this:

http://www.meguiars.com/?pro-cleaner.../Swirl-Remover

FromThisSoil

Read this article: http://meguiarsonline.com/forums/sho...&threadid=1516

Hyghgynx

dxallydx-relax bro. Have a beer. Chill. I know you just got your 'baby' and all, but it can be fixed. (Unless they really are deep scratches.) Try some scratch removal like peeps have said. (Scratch X comes to mind.) Just get one that is made by a reputable car care company. About MF clothes; I get mine at Cosco or Target. Just be sure to cut off the TAGS!! My gf scratched her Matrix because she didn't cut them off. Also, you do not want to use fabric softner in the wash cycle because it absorbs into the cotton thus making the MF towel less absorbent. (This rule goes for any cotton towel). Good luck.